


Mindful

by Ostricho



Category: Mother 1 | EarthBound Zero | EarthBound Beginnings, Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 22:54:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19711165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ostricho/pseuds/Ostricho
Summary: From the depths of Ness's mind came Magicant, a world where his thoughts turned to people, places, and things. The evil of his heart lies in the center of this doomed universe, but before Ness can confront that, a familiar friend awaits him. Sitting on a sofa is Porky, alone as always. What may he have to say?





	Mindful

The magic country was filled with a thousand alien sights that refused to let his dancing eyes have a break. Tomatoes as large as houses sprouted from the ground, their delicious red skins reflecting the sunlight like mirrors. The edges of the land were like zigzags, a jagged shoreline for the bubbling indigo waters. Towering structures like spires housed the realm’s imaginary residents, a place where one could lie down on a bed and sleep within a dream. Ness was uncertain whether he could let his mind rest, though, when he had already dived deep inside of it. He was no longer in his cozy hometown of Onett. He was not even on Earth at all. Through the power of the sanctuaries, he had reached a different plane of existence. Only his own thoughts could keep him company here in Magicant.

Ness wondered how long the illusion would last. Though everything in this universe seemed so bizarre, each person, place, and thing felt strangely familiar. The world had been crafted of his consciousness and his memories. The experiences he held dear were reassembled into new constructs that wracked his mind with confusion. At the corner of the plane of green, his family had assembled — his mother, sister, and dog. Along a narrow isthmus, past enemies snarled as Ness walked past, their wails of defeating echoing throughout the void. He tried not to pay them too much mind. A ghost of Master Belch made him feel at least a shred of guilt. But these shadows of his foes were rotten to the core — only evil stood steadfast in the centers of their minds. Ness frowned and reassured himself he was different from them.

He continued on towards the center of Magicant. As he travelled, he noticed a line of children ready to play, people he used to know but must have forgotten. The flowers bobbed their heads up and down, singing songs about the sun, but Ness was too silent to sing along. Past the frolicking phantoms of his mind, one person sat alone, hunched over on a shabby sofa. His blond hair hung past his eyes like curtains. His mouth was agape, taking in labored breaths of air, exhausted from all the chaos. Lifting his head, the embodiment of regret pierced Ness’s eyes with his own. They gazed at each other for several moments. Ness anticipated the same things as usual — the insults, the raspberry-blowing, the spanketies — but Porky said nothing.

“Porky?” Ness’s words were barely an audible whisper.

“Ness, you’re so lucky.” Somehow, Porky had heard him, even though such a thing should have been impossible. Lifting himself from the sofa, he stretched his arms out, offering an embrace. “I… I envy you, Ness. I have no luck.”

Ness hesitated, uncertain of Porky’s sincerity. The last time he had seen his next-door neighbor had been at the top of the Monotoli Building, when he had stolen the helicopter mere moments before they could board it. Time and time again, Porky had deceived him and disappointed him. To accept a hug from him now would be to take a knife to the back.

“But… Ness…?” Porky lowered his arms, his gaping mouth slumping into a frown. “Well, okay. I understand. I’ve been bad. I’ve been nothing but trouble.”

Ness only stared, refusing to approach. 

“Why don’t you sit down?” Porky said. “Don’t you like to pop a squat whenever you get winded? I’ve been out of breath for a while now. I’m all tuckered out, don’t you know?”

Ness knew everything within Magicant was a reflection of his own mind. Porky was being uncharacteristically kind, acting like a shoulder he could lie on, a person he could rely on in trying times. Whatever this ghost was, it was not a reflection of the truth. Porky was no longer his friend, as much as that pained him. Porky was his enemy. Porky was Giygas’s tool.

Ness gave an exhausted sigh. If this Porky was not the real thing, then perhaps it would be fine if they sat on the sofa for a minute or two. The cushioned seat looked relaxing, inviting him to drop down and relieve his feet from his endless quest. 

Ness wandered over towards the sofa and took a seat. He and Porky watched the horizon, the waters of Magicant rippling back and forth as the sky leapt between different colors. Porky grunted, his breaths growing heavier. The sweat that dripped from his hair started falling twice as fast. Ness tore his eyes away from the infinite ocean and cast a concerned glance towards Porky. 

“I… I don’t ever get a break,” Porky said. “You think about me a lot.”

Ness’s lips quivered, knowing it was true.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if things were the way they used to be?”

Ness nodded in agreement, remembering how life had been before that fateful night when the meteor plummeted from the heavens. No prophecies or sanctuaries had bothered him before Buzz Buzz had opened his eyes. His future had been another day of playing baseball. His refuge had been the grassy expanse of his own backyard. The kids from the treehouse would come to play every once in a while, but Porky was always there.

He did not have anyone else, after all. His father’s hands were never far from the belt around his trousers. His mother quibbled over each of his disappointing traits. And his brother only suffered alongside him, more of an acquaintance than a lifelong friend.

“Ness, you’re so lucky,” Porky said again. “Your father’s a thousand miles away, but somehow, he’s more present than my own. Your mother raises you on tender sentiments and home-cooked meals. And your sister looks up to you as an example.”

Such articulate comparisons would have never come from the real Porky’s mouth. Ness watched as the echo of his neighbor lowered his head and faced the dirt. 

“Your purpose descended from the heavens, delivered by the words of an angel.” Porky’s hair was tossed by a sudden wind, revealing a pair of reddened eyes, wet with tears. “Mine was unearthed from the darkness and whispered by a demon.”

Ness wanted to cry, knowing they were like day and night.

“I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m only asking you to understand why.”

Ness felt his eyes begin to water up as he sat on the sofa with Porky. All around him, the world of Magicant was lively, filled to the brim with whimsical and happy things. The children scattered throughout the fields, chasing each other as they laughed and cheered. The sun's light shifted from golden to pink, changing all the world's colors like a rainbow roulette. The flowers danced and forgotten lullabies seemed to drift through the breeze. Despite all those things, Ness cried.

Ness imagined that if Porky were to have a Magicant, it would be a much unhappier place.

"You need to go now." Porky laid his hands on Ness's shoulders. "At the center of this world, all your evil thoughts have turned into a monument of darkness. Once you destroy it, you'll be free, Ness. You'll be the child of destiny all the prophecies spoke about."

Ness opened his mouth, fighting his urge to remain silent.

"And what about you?" Ness finally said. "What'll happen to you?"

"Once you don't need Magicant anymore, it'll vanish." Porky rose from the sofa and turned around, facing the tumultuous waters that swirled as far as Ness could see. "I'll vanish, too. But you'll still remember the good things about me, won't you? Even if those good things are slowly going away in reality?"

"I'll try, Porky." Ness wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded. "Okay. I'll try."

"Go, then," Porky said. "I'll always be your friend, but there are others waiting for you to wake up."

Another minute passed before Ness found the strength to leave. His footsteps heavy, he wandered away from his past and headed towards a hopeful future. The nightmare in the center of Magicant needed to be eradicated. Ness's mind would be purified, his soul brighter than it had ever been before.

Yet as Ness approached the light, he knew Porky only grew closer to darkness.


End file.
